Burr Studio’s latest project is another in the studio’s enquiry into the “Elements for Industrial Recovery ”— a strategic initiative that seeks to protect Madrid’s industrial heritage by finding alternative uses for obsolete spaces.

Burr draws attention to how demolishing former industrial sites across Madrid can lead to property values rising up to four times the original price, exacerbating an already volatile real estate market. This ongoing project repurposes warehouses into residences to provide affordable housing, in turn protecting the city’s industrial heritage.

Originally a large food and beverage warehouse, MRT is now a living/working hybrid interior. The open plan distribution maximised its storage capability avoiding worthless light or ventilation openings. “In order to make this new use work the program was split into the different requirements and desires of the new tenants and arranged in a programmatic grid,” the team elaborates. “What initially was intended to be an abstract work document became the actual project.”